Ceremony [2]

When Damien re-entered the arena, the scenery was completely different. While the colosseum-style stands were still packed with hundreds of thousands of people, the actual floor was changed.

Previously, it was a large space with only the single massive lifted platform in the middle that equated the stage. Now, it was filled with decoration.

The stage itself now held 47 small elevated platforms dispersed around its perimeter, while the middle of the stage had 3 special platforms of different heights, though they were all larger than the other 47. The smallest of the three was bronze in color, the middle was silver, and the highest one was a pristine gold.

These were obviously meant for the top 3. Besides these platforms, 9 regal thrones sat side by side, each of which was decorated differently. As the participants hadn't arrived yet, it was natural that the leaders wouldn't make their appearance either, leaving the thrones empty for now.